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Thursday, August 21, 2014

Balls the size of Texas...

WARNING: if you're a boy, you might want to stop reading right now... 

I have been in Chad for a week. So far, I have seen 2 prostatectomies, 2 hernia repairs (one bi-lateral), a femur fracture repair, an amputation and a really cool patela (knee) reconstruction that I actually scrubbed in and assisted on (awesome!!)

That's a lot of surgeries for one week. I am LOVING IT! 

But today, I walked into the OR to ask a question, and this is the first thing I saw: 


They weren't lifting it quite that high, so for a moment, I wasn't sure what I was looking at. So I asked what was the surgery, and they explained it was a http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrocele_testis

A recurring theme in Chad, is that they don't come looking for a doctor until whatever it is that ails them, becomes unbearable. And they are very resistant to pain and discomfort. 

So this particular man didn't come in until... you guessed it. He had balls the size of Texas. Actually, it was just one testicle. The surgeon, table, floor, drapes, were all drenched, and they still suctioned almost 600cc out of his testicle. 

Honestly, I did not even know that existed, but that was pretty impressive. I wish I had seen it before it was drained! 

So the next time I hear someone say that expression, I'll just chuckle, think back on this patient, and say "naaah... not even close!" 

:) 

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